But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22

We celebrate this message as different from all others.  You may be moved to “do something” in a way you didn’t expect. Here goes…

Continuing our effort to help fund and support the Salvation Army and Mobile Ministries and making a positive contribution in the Greater New Bedford area, is our Lift-in-Love team goal for 2021.  For the past six years, we have conducted a Serve-A-Thon on the second Saturday in the month of September.  Nearly $225,000 has been raised, and interestingly, there were no overhead costs, and all monies raised went directly to the two ministries.

Here is a brief review of past Serve-A-Thons, where individuals and businesses financially sponsor people to serve/work at specific locations in our general community.  A veteran and historic park have been beautified in Fairhaven; A senior center recreation hall, a 970 ft. wooden fence, benches at Buttonwood Park, and a public library were freshly painted in New Bedford; Clothes and toys were sorted at Gifts-to-Give in Acushnet; A variety of crops have been harvested at the YMCA farm in Dartmouth.

Along with these community service projects, other innovative fund-raising activities, we called our Treasure Chest Projects, took place:  Among them was a quality talent show in New Bedford, a Fairhaven to Plymouth round- trip bike ride, an antique yard sale, an airplane parachute jump, a pogo stick skit, and other creative fitness efforts.

As part of our upcoming 7th Annual Serve-A-Thon, we will honor what the founder of the Salvation Army said back in the late 1800’s to those who complained to him about the homelessness and despairing situation that surrounded them.  General William Booth boldly said, “DO SOMETHING!”  With that command, thinking of others, transforming lives, and bringing hope has been the Salvation Army’s International definition of DO SOMETHING! for over 155 years.

This year’s Serve-A-Thon is scheduled for Saturday, September 25th, 2021.  A number of organizational meetings have been  held at the Salvation Army facility at 619 Purchase Street, in New Bedford.  Those interested in learning more about our 2021 projects and to DO SOMETHING! to help are welcome to visit our web page: www.lift-in-love.org , our Lift-in-Love Facebook Page, or calling the Salvation Army at 508 9976-516 and asking for Major Michael Jung.

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. Psalm 127:1

It’s a privilege for those of us who volunteer at the Salvation Army Ministry in New Bedford.  Nothing is all encompassing, but by any fair measure, it shines as a special gift and our area’s Hope Center.  The work that is done there speaks for itself, especially with those who desperately struggle in our community.  The faithful effectiveness of Majors Michael and Amanda Jung, and their year-round staff is most admirable and truly remarkable.

All of this wonderful work has its roots in a man who lived in another country a century and a half ago. William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, has grown to become one of the great heroes in the Christian faith and one of mine in particular.  It was in the midst of the fog of human despair that he relentlessly set out to share the greatest, most encouraging, and most profound message known to man.  He didn’t do it from a cushy pulpit, slick television studio, or pastor’s study.  He started by walking through the streets of London, England in the sweaty, bloody, and foul-smelling neighborhoods of those most hurting.  Soup, soap, and salvation were placed high on the Army agenda.  William Booth is a marvelous example of a man with the right heart, acting like Jesus with his sleeves rolled up.

A seriousness of purpose takes shape when a legitimate opportunity arises to share a hopeful message with despairing folks.  When the audience is least, last, lost, and lowest among us as far as social, monetary, and educational standards are concerned, the opportunity becomes more of a direct challenge.  What could or would you say to someone in the midst of being battered in their personal, social, spiritual, and/or financial life?  Could you honestly look them in the eye and walk away believing you offered something that could make a difference?

If uneasiness has arisen in you, please listen and be guided by what William Booth didn’t just say but did in action. He went to the script of God that said “go into all the world” and make disciples.  He relied on what God said about seeking Him and His Kingdom first and all the other things would be taken care of.  He believed that if he served the least of God’s children, he would be serving God directly.

Friends, the question remains: What could you possibly say to someone in the midst of human despair?  Real love is God alone because that is His nature.  He doesn’t have love.  He is love. Any other human variation of love doesn’t qualify as divine. “It’s not by might or power, but by my Spirit,” saith the Lord.  Real hope is the anchor of our soul and the vision God is willing to give us to see beyond this life into His Heaven with the eyes of our understanding heart. By faith, all doubt of His love for us was removed when Jesus died on the Cross for our sins, rose again, and made forgiveness possible and the word Salvation to be first in the Salvation Army name.

When we focus on the essence of William Booth’s message, we see Jesus Himself telling people He loved them and He alone was their eternal Hope.  The only way a true message of hope gets through to anyone is when it is transmitted from God’s heart—the source and place of real love and lively hope. Let’s be encouraged because in the midst of it all, sits our local Salvation Army Ministry at 619 Purchase Street in New Bedford – welcoming the day as a true gift, and playing the faithful role of our area’s Hope Center.

Rom 15:13; 1 Jn 4:8; Heb 6:19; Mat 6:33; Mat 25:31-46; Mark 16: 15-18; Zec 4:6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Prov 3:5-6

If we can agree that life is currently throwing challenges like an octopus throwing baseballs, then let’s look together at what Solomon, the wisest man in the Bible, suggested as a way to proceed, progress, and persevere in the best of winning ways.

His first order is for us to enjoy life because it’s a gift from God.  “And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God” (Ecc 3:13).   Critically then, do we personally appreciate life as a gift of God to enjoy or not?

In addition to enjoying life as a gift, Solomon offers a second element.  Though much of life is frustrating and futile, there are opportunities we must take advantage of when they come along.  “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest” (Ecc 9:10).  In other words, we are to fully exercise our gifts in life and leave no room for regret, retreat, or return when our time comes to depart from this Earth.

Thirdly, because we live in a world that presses us from every side, it’s incumbent upon us to rely on an unyielding support.  Under these and all conditions, Solomon admonishes us to be right with none other than—God Himself. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecc 12:13).

Fourth, and perhaps foremost, is the importance of possessing awareness that one day we will all be judged.  “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil” (Ecc 12:14).  Hearing, “Well done my good and faithful servant,” rather than, “I never knew you,” must always be our heart’s desire and divine influence behind the choices we make.

As long as we have the challenge of our flesh to satisfy and competing thoughts to filter, we will never live a perfect life.  Fortunately, Jesus is our Creator, model, and comforting friend in any time of need.  At the behest of His Father and for our benefit, He was and is the only One able to perfectly and lovingly face and overcome a world system with occupants prone to selfishness and sin.

So family and friends, in the midst of our lives, let’s rely on Christ (The Word) and God’s Holy Spirit 1) to appreciate and enjoy life as His gift, 2) to help us grow to our full potential, 3) to reverence Him and obey His commandments, and 4) to know that one day, based on honoring God’s standards and divine guidance, we choose to leave this life to be with Him, forever!

Matt 25:21; Ps 25:4-5; Prov 2: 6-9; John 10: 3-4; Ps 25:9; Matt 7: 7-11

God’s ways are not our ways.  His ideas are heaven higher than ours! Is 55:8-9

Did you know that if you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner?  The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet.  Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

We remember when circus elephants were conditioned by large chains around their ankle area to convince them that roaming freely was impossible. Even after the training chains were removed, we got to observe them marching around in a circle as if they were still there.

A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out.  It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

In many ways, there are lots of us acting like the buzzard, elephant, and the bumblebee. We’re frustrated in what seems to be unsolvable problems and challenges. We’re trapped in false beliefs, and imprisoned by old ineffective thoughts, habits, and traditions. The advantage we have that none of these other creations have, however, is the choice to look up to the awesome God who created us; the One who loves us so much he sent His Son into the world to die and free us from our sinful natures.

God declares that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Ps 139:14).  He says we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Phil 4:13).  He’s promised to never leave us or forsake us. (Heb 13:5).  His Word further declares that we can renew our mind and have His knowledge, wisdom, power and presence to be overcomers and victorious in life.

Family and friends, we are crowns of God’s creation.  If we find ourselves imprisoned or limited in our current circumstances, that’s a divine sign for us to stop and reassess.  Freedom and wholesome limitlessness is always rediscovered in the One who lives around and in us to show the way.

Psalm 123: 1-2; John 8:31-32; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Cor 3:17

Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15

A word is a word, is a word… Or is it?  If I share the word “arithmetic,” for example, the math-bent folks are more likely to lean forward and pay attention while some of the rest of us may want to count ceiling tiles or even worse—run in a panic.  The personal perception of the word and what we do with it becomes more critical sometimes than the word itself.  In today’s message, may we lead our forward leaners, tile counters, and potential panic attackers to a common answer of encouraging correction; a place where we all can benefit.

Please bear with me through a brief, painless, and surface introduction.  One of the unique functions of arithmetic is in multiplication.  For example if we multiply 1 x 2 it equals 2.  If, however, we multiply -1 x 2 it equals -2.  So any positive number multiplied by a positive number produces a positive answer.  Any positive number multiplied by a negative number produces a negative answer.  Whew!!  In faith, I believe none of us got lost.  Now let’s graduate together to an even better result…

On a more critical and practical level, this process applied to our thinking can be devastating no matter how you regard the word “arithmetic.”  There are times when we behave in a decent pattern (say 100 times) and we make a mistake or blatantly sin one time.  The spiritual arithmetic or religious spirit in us leaps in counterfeit joy with the claim that everything about us is therefore negative (100 x-1).  As a result, we can get depressed, shrivel up in guilt and self condemnation, or go down in defeat.  But God!!  A. W. Tozer said, “No matter how we may argue, true holiness and spiritual power are not qualities that can be once received and thereafter forgotten, as one might wind a clock or take a vitamin pill. Every advance in the spiritual life must be made against the determined resistance of the world, the flesh, and the devil!”  We must remember, we may be morally negative on occasion, but we are never a negative as far as our loving Creator is concerned.

Our God is a forgiving God.  By His grace and mercy, no matter what knucklehead things we may do, if we honestly repent of our negative behavior, He will put the eraser of forgiveness to our miscalculated act. (1 John 1:9).  He comes to bring abundant life, not to steal, kill or destroy us.  (John 10:10).  Our eternal Father says there is no condemnation to those who walk after Him in Spirit and not in our flesh.  In Him, we are free from sin and the ultimate negative—separation from Him or death (Rom 8:1-2).

So family and friends, criticism only finds fault.  Encouraging correction generates hopeful change.  Whether you are an arithmetic whizz or not, welcome to its Spiritual counterpart; one with a positive answer, no matter how negative we may be or have been.  No matter how you look at it, He is not merely a word. He is the Word who goes by the awesome name of Jesus Christ!

John 1:1-14; Jer 29:11; Rom 15:13; Prov 3:12

“When God forgives He forgets.  He buries our sins in the sea and puts a sign on the bank saying, “No Fishing Allowed.” Corrie ten Boom – Trump for the Lord

While growing up, my mother made it a habit of being the one to make sure that everything was all right between us before I closed my eyes to go to bed.  Even if (and usually when) I was the obvious cause of strife between us, “at the end of the day,” I would anticipate her footsteps up the stairs heading toward my bedroom to make things right. That beautiful exercise of my mother’s love, grace, mercy, and quest for peace between us not only reminds me of her great quality as my mother, it also sheds light and hope on an even greater revelation.

Now that my Mom has gone on to her home in Heaven, she demonstrated as my earthly parent what I choose to do now with God, my Eternal Parent.  There is no place for me to rationalize, posture, make believe, debate or question about who may have caused the strife or stress between us because I know the Lord is perfect.  Before my eyes close at the end of the day, the simple question I ask myself, is: “Did I please You today, Lord?”

As a believer in Christ, here is the amazing part.  Too many times my honest answer is not really.  Because He is already there to press the eternal reset button and forgive me because of His love, grace, mercy, and quest for peace between us, all I need is a convicted and humbled heart to ask for His forgiveness.

For us family and friends, “at the end of the day,” let’s be encouraged to be in right standing with the One who created us, the One who died for our sins, and the One the Bible identifies with an everlasting description…Ancient of Days. If we do that, in the greatest measure of our faith, there will be no end of the day.  Why? Because we will live forever in the loving presence of the Prince of Peace and His name is Jesus Christ!

Have a great day and a peaceful night!

Eph 4:26; Acts 4:12; Romans 15:13

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

We all have a unique memory bank from which to withdraw. Its part of what makes us individuals.  At the same time, these memories that we have as individuals apply in some way to all of us. It’s part of what helps us better understand life as human beings. May I share a personal memory and move to a general conclusion that you can judge to be true for all of us or not.

Let me set the stage for an experience in the 1970’s during my (unholy spirited) bar-tending days at an American Legion. There was an entertaining investigative TV show at the time called Kojak. Telly Savalas was the star and he wore a hat sometimes but most of the time you could see his bald head. He was so cool he could solve crimes and eat a lolly pop at the same time. His famous line was,”Who loves Ya, Baby?” Well, there was a gentleman who was a regular at the Legion Post who shaved his head, always had a lolly pop in his mouth and said without a prompt, “Who loves ya, Baby?” As you can imagine, everyone fondly called him…Kojak.

In Genesis 1:26, the Biblical memory says we are created in God’s image and likeness. In other words, we have the capacity to look and act like God.  The example above is a sad commentary on the result of our fallen nature. To choose to function as someone else (who, in fact is acting too) is not God’s plan.  We are not a clever mimic of someone else.  Instead, we are to develop and act as the precious and unique YOU and me God intended.

There is a reality beyond the make-believe realm of Kojak and his lollypop.  My conclusion agrees with Heaven’s scriptural answer, even to Hollywood’s clever scripted question of ….”Who loves ya, Baby?”  In John 3:16 the Bible says God so loved the world that He sent His only beloved Son to die for our sins so those who believed in Him would have everlasting life.” In the divine believe and make realm, God says, He loves us; and that family and friends is as real, and as sweet as it gets!

Ephesians 2:10; Romans 8:37-39; Ephesians 2:4-5 Psalm 86:15; 1 Peter 5:6-7; Zephaniah 3:17

And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.  Hebrews13:16

When we recognize Abraham as God’s choice to be The Founding Father of our faith, and the Founding Father of Founding Fathers, perspectives change dramatically.  In the Genesis account in the Old Testament and in chapter 3 of Galatians of the New Testament, it’s clear that Abraham had a divine and prototypical role to play in history.  He was blessed by God to be a blessing to the nations.  Jesus came along as the seed promised in Genesis 3:15, fulfilled the promise, and by dying upon a tree, took the curse upon Himself that was earmarked for all of fallen man.   

There is eternal excitement knowing the blessing of Abraham has been released and alive and well in his heirs; those of us who live in Faith in the redeeming work of Christ at Calvary.

2021 – We’re Blessed to Be a Blessing

For this New Year and New Decade, my wife Cynthia and I have personalized a morning prayer, based on our Covenant relationship with God and Abraham.  May our daily reminder inspire you to realize that you are blessed to be a blessing too.   

Dear Father in Heaven,

We are so grateful for our trusted relationship with You and the favor You have lavished on us in Spirit, Soul, and Body.  Thank You for our living faith, focused energy, natural and kingdom-family members, friends, and plentiful material and financial assets. We recognize the responsibility and privilege we have in this season of our lives to be a blessing to those You inspire us to engage.   Help us to be sensitive as true gatherers and deliverers of Your love to those You have placed strategically in our lives.

Father, we acknowledge that You have chosen us for such a time as this.  We know that Your agenda for Cynthia and me is as good as it gets.  Let this and every day sparkle with the strength of Your joy. Be glorified as You lead us as missionaries in the power, and transforming effectiveness of Your Holy Spirit.    

 We pray this in the mighty Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

1 Thes 5:23; Prov 11:25-26; 2 Cor 9:8-11; Rom 12:13; James 5:16; Eph 2:10; Matt 5:16

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2Cor 5:21

It was during my draft-eligible age (nearly fifty-six years ago) that I was classified by the military as 4A. Simply put, 4A meant that I was exempt on all counts from the selection process. This was due to the passing of my father, who had lost his life while serving in the United States Navy during W.W. II. With his death, I became a sole-surviving son – the only one left to carry on our family name-and because of such, the government saw the need to shield me from any duty in Vietnam. In addition to my sole-surviving son status, I also was granted a sum of money ear-marked for a college education. While it may seem somewhat selfish, my outlook during that period was that my 4A classification was owed to me, I was entitled the free tuition, and in a very twisted way, I was legitimately grateful for my father’s sacrifice. The trade-offs for taking this stance were costly, however. My sense of trust was dismantled by the absence of a “father figure” and my non-participation in the draft cultivated a nagging share of regret.

Because I was only six years old when my dad passed away, my conclusions relative to his death were not only childish, they also seeded tainted attitudes which cropped up long into my adult life. In my little heart and mind, I had planted two horribly self-defeating weeds: 1) My biological father was responsible for deserting my mother, sister, and me, and 2) God (if there even were a God) had to be wretched and insensitive for taking my most essential influence in my father. To say that this package of broken trust, unforgiveness, and bitterness flourished in my life would be an understatement. The longing I had for the love of my earthly dad and for the peace that only God could bring remained locked in a suppressed place deep within me. As my stubborn self-will and hollow pride matured, I became more and more adept at concealing my true condition by never bothering to publicly share my father’s existence with anyone. In fact, it was not until my mid-thirties that I even visited his grave site. But the most unfortunate thing of all was my stubbornness to accept a much greater reality. I, the sole-surviving son, willfully chose to ignore God and trusted in only myself for more than half a century. I was a habit on legs, independent, and set on doing things my own way. Only the likes of an earthquake or a miracle could change that. Well, guess what? The miracle came while I was on vacation in the earthquake-prone state of California.

But before I give details of this occurrence, we first need to know that God doesn’t think like we do. We make plans, but His purpose is what is carried out. His ways are higher and greater than ours. So here I was, 3,000 miles away from my Massachusetts home, thinking I was visiting with my son. When I first arrived, I had begun to read a small version of the Amplified Bible that a friend had given me. Never a hungry reader, I was surprised by my appetite for what was on these pages. It was as if this Book were written just for me! Little did I know that this was part of God’s special appeal to meet with me. After a few days of delving into His Word and learning about the significance of His Son, Jesus, I decided to arise early one morning and drive to the beach. As only God can produce, I soon found myself in front of one of His more famous in-ground pools-the “peace maker”/Pacific Ocean. I stood at the shoreline gazing off to forever, when all of a sudden, the concept of God clicked. In that moment of awe, He showed me how immense He was. Immediately, my hapless and hopeless ways were brought into the light, which I later came to realize was captured so nicely in Proverb 13:12-”Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” In His presence, I knew I was meeting with hope Himself, the God of transforming love that never fails. I whispered to Him from my prayerful heart, “I give up… I’m all yours. Please, Lord, help me…” His response was my miracle.

My tide changed immediately as the peace of God flowed within me. A joy swept throughout my entire being like never in my life. My eyes were opened in a spiritual rebirth that literally compares to seeing the ocean for the first time. At that moment, two significant things happened and have continued to this day. 1) God began erecting His monument of trust in the core of my heart and 2) He began to weed out of my inner garden the twin growths of unforgiveness and bitterness. The anchor of hope for my soul had arrived. My harvest in life would never be the same.

From the instant I became a baby Christian, I have continued to read the Bible, listen to teaching lessons, and learn from more mature Christians than I. As magnificent as the Pacific Ocean was and the personal experience that accompanied it, I now know that there is so much more to discover and understand about the source of both. God is a wonder to behold. It is through the depth of my relationship walk with Him that the benefits of being regenerated become apparent. In Christ, I am forgiven of all my sins. I can fellowship with God any time I want. I am righteous because I am in Christ. I have access to revelation knowledge. I am born unto a new spiritual family complete with full rights and privileges. I am a part of a royal priesthood. And most significantly, I am an heir to a Heavenly Kingdom and guaranteed an eternal existence.

As I look back on my sole-surviving son days, they are completely washed in the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. When I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, I was translated from being that sole-surviving, soul-condemned individual who had a despairing life and a destiny in the devil’s eternal hell to a new creation (2Cor 5:17), a recreated soul-serving son who is complete in the promise of abundant life on earth and the blessed hope of being loved in My Heavenly Father’s house forever.

Like I mentioned, my attitude about being a sole-surviving son and having never served in the military is actually something I have lived to regret. Yet, with God, all things are possible. And so it is in this case. I believe God has helped me in the military part of my life by drafting me to serve in His army. They say old soldiers never die; their memory lives on. It is in my new position as a spiritual soldier and soul-serving son that I have the opportunity to brandish the sword of His Word for His honor and glory. And the most amazing aspect of doing this is that not only will my memory live on, but I, too, will live forever!

If you would like to join me in the eternal army of Jesus Christ, recite the following prayer and you will be enlisted to serve too.

Heavenly Father, I come to You in the name of Your Son, Jesus. Thank you for sending Him to die for my sins, an incredible act of love performed just for me. I am sorry for sinning against You. I believe that you are a forgiving God, as Your Word says, and that You forgive me of all my sins. I believe You raised Jesus from the grave, overcoming death, which allows me to accept Him and receive eternal life through Him. Jesus, please come and reside in my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Amen.

As a boy, I can vividly recall a specific occasion when my step-father, a retired Navy man, brought our family to attention while driving across the Fairhaven-New Bedford Bridge. It was not by any sudden action or outburst because he was doing his usual scanning of the variety of sail boats which dotted the harbor. What tuned each and every ear were the words spoken from his mouth. They were honest words having to do with his greatest fantasy. It went something like this ……. “If I could only stop this car, get out, throw my wallet away, dive into the water and swim to one of those boats and sail off, I would never be seen or heard from again.” It sounded like a legitimate dream to all of us as we lightly accepted what was in the recesses of his heart. Fortunately, we were familiar with the dreamer part of Dad and knew he’d never actually do it. His fantasy was psychologically harmless to our family, but it pointed out a dangerous spiritual void that each of us were blinded to. Our earthly father was giving us his best shot at temporal happiness – what I now look back on and call “Sailvation”.

Sailvation is when one sets into motion a personalized plan of captaining his or her own ship; to somehow escape the issues of this world by simply sailing off to ….. somewhere. How many of us have actually done that only to find a new horizon of problems and a renewed longing to find that elusive port of peace?

Here is where we need to meet the real captain of the entire fleet — Jesus Christ. He is the Prince of Peace who made all ports. When we abide in Him, accept Him as our Lord and Savior, He then navigates the course of our lives. All we need to do is take the I out of Sailvation and trust Him and His salvation for us. He created the earth, the waterway, the material for boat building, celestial decoration, and all life that inhabits this planet – especially and including mankind, His Crown of Creation. He also recreated us. How? By dying for us on the Cross, an unprecedented and heroic act which in effect served as our “life saver” from the wages of sin or put another way, eternal separation or death. (Romans 6:23)

From the Sea of Galilee to the shores of Narragansett Bay, the ever-loving and ever-living miraculous Jesus Christ welcomes us to follow Him. If you want Jesus to come into your life and navigate for you, drop the “I” in your Sailvation approach and two major things will occur: 1) You will no longer continually run aground here on earth and 2) You will never sink into the eternal depths of hell. The only way to become ship-shape is simple. Be willing and submit to the greatest Harbor Master and Light House of all — He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life — Jesus Christ. (John 14:6)

To be reunited and sealed, God’s way, please recite this prayer and mean it with all of your heart, and your journey in and with Him will begin now and never end. (Romans 10:9-10)

Heavenly Father, I come to You in the name of Your Son, Jesus. Thank you for sending Him to die to redeem me from my sins. I’m sorry for sinning against You. I believe that you are a forgiving God, as Your Word says, and You forgive me of all my sins right now. I believe You raised Jesus from the grave, overcoming sin and death, and allowing me to accept Him and receive eternal life through Him. Jesus, please come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior of my life. Please help me to become the person of Your eternal destiny. Amen.

John 3:16-17; John 6:47; 2 Timothy 1:9-10; Acts 4:12; Psalm 62:1; Luke 19:9-10

Editor’s Note: When Jesus is the captain, you can sail towards the real Fair Havens!